
About the Artist
Madeleine loves to paint. Painting slows time. It expands awareness and presence. It is an act of noticing and appreciating.
For the artist, painting is a way to contemplate creation ~ its beauty, simplicity and wonder ~ its complexity, contradictions and mystery.

Looking
Deeply
Madeleine is curious and guided by time spent in nature, meditation and relationships. She is continually exploring life through introspection, conversation, ceremony, reading, history, cross cultural perspectives and travel. Her art reflects on a broad range of perspectives - from appreciating what is at our feet, to contemplating inter-species and inter-cultural relationships across time and space. Her work is evolving and leans towards uncovering harmony and what connects us; while not shying away from the suffering, disconnection and confusion of our modern world.
She fell in love with oil painting in 2001 while studying her BFA in Vancouver, Canada. Much of her adult life has been dedicated to music, the earth and teaching. She has released 8 self-produced albums, multiple music videos, singles and collaborative music under the artist name "Bachan Kaur". She has recently returned to painting the past several years and deepening into her practice again.




More about Madeleine's Personal Story . . .
"Since I was tiny, you could often find me painting, drawing, or whirling in circles in my backyard singing songs. Alongside constant creativity, my life has been woven with the thread of deep appreciation and curiosity for our relationship with Mother Nature. As a young adult, my dedication to contribute harmoniously with our planet, guided me towards several paths. I traveled and explored living off-grid in eco-communities, working on organic farms, studying permaculture, and eventually enrolling in University studies for “Land and food systems”. However, two things happened along the way that eventually led me in another direction. The first is that I noticed that even in paradise, humans could still be confused and cruel. I felt that it wasn’t Nature that needed our help, rather it is the humans that are suffering. This awakened a dedication to devoting my energy towards being part of healing the human heart and consciousness (and I later dedicated much of my adult life to meditation, yoga, prayer and sacred music - you can check out my music as “Bachan Kaur” on any streaming platform or on my website www.bachanmusic.com) During my agricultural and environmental studies at university, I noticed the second thing. I came most alive in my “elective” course, art class! I realized…who am I kidding? I may love nature with all my heart and want to make a difference…but I am an artist ◡̈ This prompted me to switch my program into a Bachelor of Fine Arts, where my love affair with painting really took root and came to life. After diving deeply into painting and having multiple sell out painting exhibitions (mostly large format oil paintings), I shifted my creative energy into another love - music. Music brought together my desire to connect to creativity in a way that directly impacted the human heart, healing and changed the vibration of myself and those around me. I also loved that music had so little environmental impact. It could travel, without matter, beyond time and space, reaching hearts around the world with a click. Music became my muse, and I dedicated my soul to her for almost 20 years. I traveled the world, lived out of a suitcase, shared in the hospitality of others, while recording multiple albums and planting gardens of love through sonic prayer, healing and celebration. Within the past 5 years, I’ve felt that wave subside and my heart and hands have been filled with a deep longing to spend my creative energy exploring my original love of colour and painting. The simplicity, lightness and ecological ease of watercolours, were a great fit with my nomadic lifestyle. Now, just like in my early permaculture days and eco-cd creation practices, I am committed to share art in the most ecologically responsible way possible. The 3D nature of visual art certainly has revealed the complexities of creating physical products that have a regenerative and circular life in the world. It’s far from perfect…but that is what you see here… An imperfect attempt to integrate creativity harmoniously in our world. To amplify beauty through art, music and more, in a way that somehow gives back more that it takes. To plant more flowers than I pick."

CV
Madeleine Deming Sullivan
Born in 1981 Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Resides and works between Vancouver Island, Canada and Tepoztlán, México
EDUCATION
2015 - 2016 Secondary Art Teaching Degree, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC
2014 - 2016 MAED - Masters in Art Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC
2001 - 2006 BFA - Bachelor of Fine Arts, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
2011 Permaculture Design Certification, Roberts Creek, BC
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2011 Sacred Union, Public mural, Phoenix, AZ
2010 Painting exhibit, Gorilla Foods, Vancouver,BC
2009 The Spaces in Between, Gumboot Cafe, Roberts Creek, BC
2008 Tides of the Heart, Gumboot Cafe, Roberts Creek, BC
2007 Play of Light, Aphrodite's, Vancouver, BC
2006 Light Art, Ayurveda, Vancouver, BC
For/ Toward (UBC Grad Exhibition), Tinseltown, Vancouver
2004 Taking the Indoors Out, Seva, Vancouver, BC
ARTISTIC WORKS
PUBLICATIONS
2021 Two Drops, Illustrated Children’s Book
MUSIC RELEASES
2023 Ardas Prem, music album
Bhand Jameeai, single
Thoon Mera Pita thoon Hai Mera Mataa, single
2022 Friends we Don’t Often See, music album
Pequeño Gran Corazón, collaborative single with Lagartijeando
2021 Abuelita, single
2021 Many Moons (Mose & Binder re-mix), collaborative single
2019 Troubles of Mind, single
2018 Crimson, single
2016 Many Moons, music album
2015 Magdalena Mariposa, music album
2014 Japji, single
2011 MADA Love, music EP
2008 Anahat, music album
Illumine*nation, music album
2006 Soul Songs, music album
2004 Angels in the Amrit, music album
VIDEO PRODUCTION
2022 Rainbow Jesus, music video
When Things Fall Apart, music video
2019 Many Moons, music video
Troubles of Mind, music video
2018 Beauty and the Beast, music video
Danza de la Luna, music video
2016 Your Water, music video
Temple Heart, music video
2015 Luz del Bosque, music video
2013 /14 Mi Voz, Community Music project, Mexico
2012 Music Sound, video
COLLECTIONS
Over 50 paintings held by private collectors in Canada, Mexico and USA
RESIDENCIES
2026 A Position on Retreat Artist Residency, one month, Lake Cowichan, BC
2023 Can Serrat Artist Residency, 2 weeks, Montserrat, Spain
2023 Self-directed Artist Residency & Botanical Studies, one month, Crete, Greece
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2017 - present Learning Consultant, SelfDesign Learning Foundation, BC
2013 - 2016 Creativity Facilitator - private and workshops, Canada, USA
2008 - 2018 Sacred music facilitator, concerts and workshops, Canada, USA, Guatemala and Mexico
2001 - 2018 Yoga & meditation Teacher, Canada, USA, Mexico

